[greenmountain4x4]

Hi everyone I’m getting serious about buying a 1025R buy I’m getting nervous that it won’t be able to handle my hill. I used a board and the angle App and seems like it is about 30 degrees. Would really like to mow side to side because the ditch at the bottom will make turning difficult going up and down. Would love to hear some thoughts

 

[John Deere 1025R TLB]

Hi everyone I’m getting serious about buying a 1025R buy I’m getting nervous that it won’t be able to handle my hill. I used a board and the angle App and seems like it is about 30 degrees. Would really like to mow side to side because the ditch at the bottom will make turning difficult going up and down. Would love to hear some thoughts View attachment 802310

What are you using now? 30 is fairly steep.

Sent from my SM-N976V using Tapatalk

 

[Jimmy Walker]

Perhaps with wheel weights and filled tires and extreme caution.
At 25 degrees I can stand on high side of hill and get a rear wheel off the ground just pushing on the ROPS.

 

[greenmountain4x4]

I’m using a DR field and brush mower with a mower attachment. I’d love something that I can sit my butt on.

 

[ClydeLogan]

I would not risk my own life trying to mow that with my 1025R unless I could go up and down. All it would take is dropping a rear wheel into a dwwnhill depression and your life would depend on the ROPS and the seat belt.

Let's Talk about working on slopes.

A lot of owners, including myself often ask about "How steep" is safe. There are so many answers... While no one can say what is safe for others, it would be nice to know what people are "getting away with" regularly. I will make a disclaimer... no one reading this thread should hold anyone...

www.greentractortalk.com

 

[Sundancer268]

Ventrac is designed for mowing steep slopes. Expensive.
Ventrac Compact Tractors & Attachments

 

[Count Chuckula]

I’m using a DR field and brush mower with a mower attachment. I’d love something that I can sit my butt on.

Are you dead set on a tractor? Plenty of good riding mowers and ZTR’s out there that could handle that slope for much less $$$. Obvious trade-off is you are talking then about a less-versatile machine.

 

[The Satch]

I mow a similar slope that I can't turn around at the top, I just mow up and back down

 

[SulleyBear]

As the owner of a 1025r, I would NOT use it on that hill from side to side or likely even top to bottom.

However, I would mow that hill all day long with my commercial zero turn mower, side to side, top to bottom, even on an angle, But the center of gravity on the zero turn is completely different than that of a SCUT. Note I said COMMERICAL Zero Turn, not a residential unit. I want wide and heavy with a ROPS and plenty of power.

If I were going to mow with a tractor, it would be a x758 John Deere, Automatic All wheel drive, diesel engine and much lower center of gravity than the 1 series tractor.

All it takes is one slip or slide and then have the tire catch and the 1 series would be tumbling down the hill.............

 

[SulleyBear]

Do us a favor and post a picture of the ditch at the bottom on the hill and also standing at the driveway, looking up the hill so we can see both the hill and the ditch from those perspectives as well..........

 

[chex313]

Has anyone actually rolled a one series with a 60" MMM on? I am wondering how that happens.

 

[greenmountain4x4]

It got dark already in Vermont. I’ll post some pictures tomorrow. We have 12 acres. 2 grass 6 woods and 4 field. Would love something that I could have a loader tiler and brush hog.

 

[etcallhome]

IMO I see nothing that would keep you from mowing the slope you are showing.

Over the past 20+ yrs I've mowed my back yard (top 2 photos) with a 2210,2305, 1026 and now 1025R.
The bottom 2 photos a x590, x738 and used my SIL 2305.
Either yard,, up , down, on a angle, I have apx 40# wheel weighs on rear wheels and 1.2" wheel spacers

On the other mowers, no wheel weights , and no spacers.

You learn to take it easy, mow in L range .
Talk to a JD dealer , they may have a used or new what ever you decide to buy and let you try it out before buying.
I have mowed with my fel and rear ballast on , but usually it is removed. .

My guess is Levi mows steeper than me with a 1025r

 

[Rob R]

My ditch (30 foot vertical drop, 25 degrees for most parts, right at 30 for the last 50 feet)

Not a problem with my 445 60" deck
My 430 60" deck is good at 25 degrees, the uphill back wheel comes off the ground before I get to the 30 degree portion (only mow up and down)

I just purchased a 2025r this summer. Up-down good (6' sidewalk at the top) and scary at 45 degree angle to the ditch.

I added 2" wheel spaces and it is good now at 25 degrees to horizontal, but I will not try it on the 30 degree end...up and down or use the 445.

Along with wheel spacers, I have 70 lb weights on each rear wheel...without spacers, not for me.

ROPS up, don't want to roll, but really don't want to die rolling.

 

[etcallhome]

Just remembered , here is a picture of what I have mowed with SIL 2305 and his dads x 590 and x 738.
From lower part of photo to the yellow cross road sign. This was several years ago, that ditch is close to 5' deep .
First few times I mowed this the pucker factor kicked in big time. Since then the state has filled in the ditch but the bank is still as steep.
Move up along the side of the road , get to the sign, back up about a 1/2 tractor length and then turn right and go up over the bank.
In the 3rd photo you can see a silver car. , it is below the tree you can see up on the bank.

 

[Levi]

used a board and the angle App and seems like it is about 30 degrees. Would really like to mow side to side because the ditch at the bottom will make turning difficult going up and down. Would love to hear some thoughts

I'd mow it but that's just me. I mow up to and more then 45degrees. I mow the bottom 3 or 4 rows and then mow up and down hill. That gives you room to turn around when you start mowing up and down. Mowing all of it side to side will give you marks in the grass where the lower side mows closer to the ground then the high side because of gravity. Even if you mow it in an X configuration it will leave cut marks. I will sit on the high side fender when mowing side to side.

Don't do it because I said I do it. You have to be comfortable with it and it takes a few times doing it to get there. The pucker factor will kick in and you need to pay attention to it. Over the years I've set up my 1026R different. I now mow with 4 suitcase weights on the front, 72 lb. wheel weights on both rear wheels and 1-1/2" spacers on the back wheels. With all that it just makes it feel safer. And when I make a turn the weights help to do that with the least amount of spinning the tires when turning up hill.

The biggest thing is the tires. You have to get the ones that gives you the most grip while going sideways on a hill. I've not tried the versa turf tires. But you don't want turf tires or R-4's. I've read that the versa turf tires are great but I went with what John Deere calls HDAP. I bought my tires at Miller tire (a vendor on here) because they have them in 4 ply and are called terra trac, or something like that. These tires give me the best side grip then any I've tried so far. At the same time they will also rip up your ground when you get them to spinning while turning, easier then any other kind of tire.

Also you never want to mow a hill, any hill, with nothing more then the MMM deck on the tractor. Anything else attached to the tractor is just making it more top heavy and that is something you never want. The best ballast on a 1 series tractor is the mower deck, you, a bottle of water and the tools in the tool box.

Last thing I'll say is...be safe and always, always listen to your pucker factor.

 

[VASteelersGuy]

A zero turn with wheel spacers. I fought mowing a hill with push mower, twin bladed 30" time master, cub cadet setup, 1025R (friend tried it and stopped after one pass), etc. and I can tell you that a lot of what you have pictured can be mowed with a 1025R but there's some that is going to really cause concern. Something as simple as moisture on the grass is a game changer. I would rent/borrow, etc a zero turn and let yourself be convinced of how much time and more importantly...safety...you gain.

 

[greenmountain4x4]

So here’s some photos from the bottom. I just downloaded an angle App steepest spot I could find was 22 degrees with most if it in the high teen degrees. Not sure how that relates to percent grade or if I calculated grade correctly. Up on the hill it drains well and rarely wet even after this wet summer.

 

[Kbar]

No problem. 22 degrees can be hairy but doable. I mow my road ditched long ways and get to around 27 at the steepest. All I have is fluid filled rears and R4’s.
BTW 22 degrees is around 40% grade

 

[Kbar]

I’d definitely get a slope meter or something similar to check your gradient. I wouldn’t rely on an app. Some of the guys here installed them on their tractors